Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies

Written by: Harriet Peck Taylor

First line: In ancient times, when all the animals could talk, there lived a coyote.

Why you should read this book: The trickster is tricked, repeatedly, despite his honest attempts to please his wife by bringing her a sack full of salt from a faraway lake, when his inherent desire to sleep leaves him open to the pranking ways of the wily butterflies. With striking illustrations that show the beauty and grandeur of the southwestern landscape and the creature that dwell therein, this eye-catching book is a lovely introduction to coyote mythology, and worth reading for the drawing of the butterflies carrying a sleeping coyote through the air alone. This version features a happy ending, with the butterflies at last taking pity on the perplexed coyote, and all the animals attending a feast together.

Why you shouldn’t read this book: You can demonstrate, using fact and figures, that no amount of butterflies would be capable of lifting a full-grown coyote, let alone flying him over mountains and meadows.